Starting a hunter
So, you think you have what it takes to become a Hunter, do you? Well, then this page is intended to help you become a good one. We've tried to provide generic plan one can follow for the first 10 levels or so, just to get you started on the right path. If you're looking for more of an overview of the class' abilities, see the main Hunter page. For more advanced topics, see Hunter Tactics. For a more general overview on starting out playing WoW, see the Newbie Guide Race Selection If you're a power-player, you'll want to consider the various Racial Traits when choosing what race to play. You might also consider the racial Attributes, but after the first 20 levels or so these become largely irrelevant, as the items you've gained will outstrip any racial bonuses. For more casual gamers, there's really no major difference between the races - choose the race that you want to play, whether for its looks, its voice, or because its simply good fun! Early Leveling The easiest way to progress through the early levels is to simply do any and all of the quests you can find. Not only will you breeze through the first 5 to 10 levels, but you'll get useful gear and precious money. Money is particulary important so you can purchase your skills, spells and/or abilities as appropriate for one's class. Obviously money is also important for purchasing personal items such a potions, jewelry, food, armor, weapons, etc. You should spend levels 1 - 5 near your starting town. Most everything needed at these early levels can be obtained there from one or the other vendor. Likewise, any inventory loot you've gathered hunting can be sold to these same vendors. Also, this is where you're going to begin questing and figure out the most efficient ways to go about this most important of tasks. Make sure you get all the abilities and spells you can from your trainer. Between level 5 and 6 you'll find yourself heading off to your second town and a new trainer who can teach you various things. At the second town, repeat the process - do each and every quest you can find. It's important to keep up with your abilities and your gear. Now is also an appropriate time to start training in your chosen professions. Notable Early Quests The following lists are not intended to be comprehensive, but cover a selection of the best quests in the starting areas from levels 1 to 10. Dwarves * http://www.cosmosui.org/images/alliance-mini.gif Quest 1 * http://www.cosmosui.org/images/alliance-mini.gif etc Night Elves * http://www.cosmosui.org/images/alliance-mini.gif Quest 1 Orcs & Trolls * http://www.cosmosui.org/images/horde-mini.gif Quest 1 Tauren * http://www.cosmosui.org/images/horde-mini.gif Quest 1 On Soloing and Grouping Soloing Soloing is both a science and an art that each Hunter will have to develop in their own way. I will give a few pointers here that work for me, but the way I hunt is only one of many, many ways for a Hunter to go apply their vocation. You will find that there are as many thoughts on being a good Hunter as there are Hunters. The primary thing a Hunter must learn is that our role is not that of a melee specialist. We are lousy at melee, even when specced heavily in melee Talents. If melee is really what you're after, best roll a Warrior type so you can go mana y mano with all comers. Personally, I am a methodical Hunter. By that I mean that I don't get in a rush while hunting and I try to be as alert as possible to the area of operations I find myself in at any given moment; in the military we referred to this state of alertness as situational awareness. I stop every so often and flip through various camera settings to examine things from all angles (I have both sides and a rear view key bound for easy reference). Terrain looks totally different from the opposite direction if one needs to escape a fight gone bad and beat a hasty retreat. In addition, I alternate tracking modes frequently. This allows me positive situational awareness of terrain, beasts, and humanoid mobs in the immediate vicinity. Lastly, I try always to have a pre-plotted escape route that is relatively free of aggro. I am one of those Hunters who feels it is better to run away and live to fight another day than it is to go toe-to-toe with a mob one knows he has no chance of besting. Plus, one never knows when, during the course of any given fight, a mob might suddenly spawn nearby and become an add. Trust me, just plan on having an escape route and you'll stay alive much longer... ;) Grouping '' Add some class-specific advice on grouping -- Goldark '' Remember to "assist" the Warrior or Paladin if you have one in your group, to ensure you focus your party's firepower on one mob. You can do this by selecting the tank (use the F1-F5 keys to target group members) and then pressing "F". This way, mobs will die faster. If you don't have a tank in the group, agree amongst yourselves who to assist. Although its not all that important now, its an important habit to get used to for later levels. Useful Professions The Hunter can benefit directly and indirectly from many of the professions available. Primary Professions For my take on things, the most useful Professions for a Hunter are Engineering or Leatherworking. Certainly one may pursue any of the other professions available. These two, however, benifit the Hunter most in my opionion. * Mining and Engineering : Engineering requires supplies gathered by a miner. So, it just makes sense for a Hunter who wishes to go into Engineering to also take up Mining. Engineering allows Hunters to make their own shot, bombs, scopes, rifles, etc. * Skinning and Leatherworking : Skinning allows one to obtain the raw materials needed to pursue the Leatherworking Profession. This allows a bow wielder, such as the Night Elf to make the leather armor a Hunter wears until at least level 40, when Hunters become elgible to train in wearing Chain Armor. So, if one does as I did, and creates a gun-toting Hunter (Dorf) for fighting and a bow weilding Hunter (NE) for playing around with and making armor, we get the best of both of those worlds, so to speak. Start your profession early! It's usually not too expensive, and you want to ensure that anything you create with your skills is applicable to your Hunter's level. Secondary Professions * Cooking : This profession allows the Hunter to cook nourishing food for both himself and his pet. While the effects of eating cooked food over that looted from mobs is quite obvious for the Hunter themselves, I've found that cooking for a pet is really a waste; I really can't see where it is overly better than feeding them the raw meats one gets from normal hunting. * Fishing : Some pets will only eat fish and some will eat fish in addition to other dietary supplements. I generally fish more for the potential to reel in loot of various kinds as much as for the actual fish. Although the extra fish comes in handy depending upon the current pet, try fishing for loot sometime. It requires much patience, but has paid off with a couple of pretty decent items so far. * First Aid : Every class can really use First Aid. You cannot apply First Aid during combat, but it is a great fixer-upper after combat and in conjunction with potions or foodstuffs, can really make a difference in healing and regeneration of mana and so forth. Long-Term Goals '' Stuff like gear, quests, general long-term aims. e.g. melee classes might want to focus more on equipment'' Authors : Originally started by -- Arath . Hopefully someone else will help fill in some of the blank spots, otherwise I will edit as I get in game and mature my Hunter See Also Hunter Hunter Abilities Hunter Talents Hunter Tactics ---- Hunter,Starting Hunter,Starting Hunter,Starting